Some Names To Look For In This Newsletter:President's Corner: By Jim Miller; Guest Columnist, by “Dyno” Don Batyi; STAFF EDITORIAL, by Richard Parks; Dean Jeffries 1933–2013, from Motor City Garage; Dean Jeffries passed away on Sunday, May 5, 2013; Ernie Schorb passed away early this morning; Cruisin For A Cure is in September each year at the Orange County Fairgrounds, where we expect over 4000 vehicles and will offers free PSA Prostate Cancer screening for men over 40; A couple of days ago I did a job for a relative of Jimmy Stewart, the actor; STAFF NOTES: Jim Miller found out the following information on a rare video that was shot in Los Angeles in 1950 or 1951; STAFF NOTES: Ron Main sent in this link to Tom Ivo’s old Twin Buick; America's Real Sports Car. By Le Roi Tex Smith; NHRA 2013 Holley National Hot Rod Reunion Grand Marshal & Honorees; I thought it timely to send you a link to Gareth Kent’s video of the latest Allard Chrysler dragster fire-up; Sent by Bill Barringer 4/9/13 . Spencer Simon Collection

Guest Columnist, by “Dyno” Don Batyi: There was something that didn't strike me right about California Assembly Bill AB-1002. After the Summary of April 22 I got it. They called it Vehicle Registration Tax: Sustainable Communities Strategies. I did some research on "sustainable communities strategies" and lo and behold there it was. See this link for whole report: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bill/asm/ab_1001-1050/ab_1002_cfa_20130419_133155_asm_ comm.html. Now go to this link: http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/sb375/sb375.htm. The California Air Resources Board is doing well with this obscure law. Here is a clip from above link: Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008 (Sustainable Communities, SB 375, Steinberg, Statutes of 2008) enhances California's ability to reach its AB32 goals by promoting good planning with the goal of more sustainable communities. Sustainable Communities requires ARB to develop regional greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for passenger vehicles. ARB is to establish targets for 2020 and 2035 for each region covered by one of the State's 18 metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs). Now let's go back to the Summary Report, here is another clip: 3) Requires the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), after deducting all reasonable costs to administer the tax, to remit all the revenue generated into the Sustainable Communities Strategy Subaccount to be created in the Motor Vehicle Account. Funds from the account are to be available upon appropriation by the Legislature. Now we have a sub account within the DMV's regular account. Do you think other taxpayer money might end up there, out of sight? It's only $6 bucks a car. But let's not forget the High Speed Rail System that's part of this mess. The last estimate reported for this was $80 billion and if you think they will build it for that I have a toll bridge I would like to sell you. Our Hobby is in constant jeopardy as is our way of transportation in general. State of California debt has risen to $407,368,995,000. That is 407 Billion dollars. That works out to $10,785 per citizen. This bill collects money from transportation and spends it on projects unrelated to the motoring public. This bill needs to die.

STAFF EDITORIAL, by Richard Parks: Recently I received an email from our Northern California Reporter Spencer Simon who asked me if I could run this question in the newsletter to see if we could help one of our readers. The question was; "For insurance purpose, what are our 'Rex Burnett’s' worth? I need to put a price on them." This kind of question is one of the reasons why we created the Society of Land Speed Racing Historians Newsletter. While we are not adjusters, appraisers, raters, insurers or dealers in collectibles, we can give a broad answer and then run the request in the newsletter. We can also help to locate dealers, purchasers or sellers by listing the objects on the website. We do this as a service because objects have historical relevance to researchers, historians and collectors. Our website is located at www.landspeedracing.com and we will publish photographs and whatever history you have on objects. They can be car parts, cars, art or memorabilia as long as it deals with auto racing and specifically land speed and early drag racing. Another website is www.hotrodhotline.com which has a free section where anyone can send in photos and text on car parts (and other auto related collectibles) and this website would probably allow some racing collectibles to be listed for sale as well. I spoke to a person who uses this website to sell memorabilia such as racing jackets, photos and helmets and he was quite satisfied with the site and the staff that helped him. My son uses eBay and Craig's List and he says Craig's List is superior. But will you get top dollar for your collectibles there. If all that you need is an adjustor, rater, insurance estimate or quote then Jim Miller, our Society's President may know of a professional that does just that, or can give you his estimate. But first a caveat; price is determined by what the buyer will pay and what the seller will take. If it is simply an insurance quote to cover the object in case of fire or damage then first go to your insurance agent and explain your problem. Insurance agents are good at figuring out rough prices since they have to pay out when damage or loss occurs. Usually your homeowners policy will have a deductible and should insure the "contents of your home" including artwork and collectibles. Don't assume you will be paid for a claim or that you have this insurance. Your agent has to create a policy that includes this "contents" coverage and then you have to "document" that you actually owned the collectibles that you want insured and that these objects were indeed lost. You do that by documenting or creating a provenance or history. That is usually done by taking photographs of the contents of your house or videotaping your possessions. On top of that you need to have a written list of your valuables with an explanation, such as; "One firesuit worn at the NHRA U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1978, where I won the race." The written provenance not only establishes your claim to the object in case of loss, but improves the value of the object to your heirs should they seek to sell the object to a collector in the future. An undocumented object is only what that object can be used for in the present day, while a documented object has greater value because it is historical, rare and a known object. Show the photos of the objects and the provenance or history of the objects to your insurance agent. If the amounts go over the basic coverage amount (usually $25,000), then you need to add more coverage. This additional premium usually isn’t very much and is well worth it to add to your basic fire and liability homeowners insurance plan. There are professional and amateur raters, insurers, adjustors and appraisers. Some charge for their services and some are free, especially if they have an interest in buying the object, such as a collector or say a pawn shop or dealer. Quotes are unpredictable and the market is erratic. The best time to sell is just after the stock market has peaked and investors are selling their stocks and looking for another market to make a profit in and then money goes over into the collectibles market and you see big rises in prices. The best time to be a buyer is after the collectibles market has collapsed and the depressed stock markets have started to see an improvement in the economy and investors are beginning to buy good blue chip stocks again. Some collectibles and artwork have a huge market and lots of collectors and the prices are somewhat stable. Then there are other kinds of art, memorabilia and collectibles that are just as beautiful, but are "out of favor" with collectors and no one wants to collect those objects or if they do they won't offer much money for them. In that case the seller has to be very patient and not under financial duress to sell AND must expand the areas that he wants to sell to. It's not enough to ask a few local hot rodders if they are interested in your collectibles; you have to advertise as far afield as you can. But you also have to watch your selling and advertising costs, because you could spend more in selling the objects than you can recover in the sales price as I have personally experienced on eBay. You also don't have to pay a huge fee to an appraiser just to find out what the object is worth, though good appraisers will set a fair price and that will help you sell your collectibles faster. Just because someone calls themselves an appraiser doesn’t mean that he “knows” the price. He’s guessing, based on his experience in that particular market. You can often get “guestimates” from knowledgeable car guys and car show inspectors. Gather up what they tell you and average it out, then post the estimate with your free or paid ad. If you overprice the objects you will get no response or a counter bid so low that you will lose faith in the bidder and just walk out. If people tell you that the object is worth $500, that doesn't mean that you will get five hundred dollars cash. It probably means that they will offer you $250, because they will want to have some upside wiggle room if they are a dealer and they have to make a profit too. The dealer could buy it for half and then never find a buyer and have to discount the object and take a loss. There are TV shows that deal with dealers and sellers and they are fun to watch and you can learn a great deal on how to bargain in a friendly manner. Dealers are not the only buyers and sometimes collectors are just as sharp in knowing what the price should be. So ask a few car guys, artists, collectors and knowledgeable people and say, "What would you give me for this?" Most of them will give you an estimate of what they would pay if they wanted the object and so you would post their estimates on the provenance list after the object. Expect the prices to be all over the map because that is exactly how the collectibles prices are; UP and DOWN, constantly and unpredictably. But now you have a cheap and inexpensive idea of what you are dealing with. There are other ways to profit or insure your collectibles or art work, but the important thing is that you start now and document what you have. Theft, fire, age, corrosion, water and insect damage destroy a lot of valuable objects every year and you have to protect your valuables. Besides insuring against loss or trying to find a price and buyer, there is another very important reason why you should photograph your "contents" of your house, garage and storage areas and that is to help your heirs. When we pass on to the "great race track in the sky" our heirs will be left with a lot of work at a time when they are rather despondent over our loss. Often the estate has to be processed fast; the state wants their taxes and the heirs are clamoring for their money. What is the most valuable asset? Yep, the house and it is put on the market and sold. But the contents have to be removed to sell the valuable house and no one has the room or the will to store our prized and valuable collectibles. In fact, no one even KNOWS that our collectibles have value unless you leave a record and photographs of them and explain their value. You might as well rent a dumpster and throw it out now because that's what's going to happen to that valuable "winner's fire suit" that someone may offer you $2500 for. Your children or heirs might not even know that they are tossing out tens of thousands of dollars in valuable artifacts, because to them it is just a dirty, oily, old, useless fire suit with no meaning at all to them. Document and photograph now while you still can.

The automotive world has lost a great painter, builder, and creative force. Dean Jeffries, creator of the Mantaray and the Monkeemobile, has passed away at age 80. Born on February 25, 1933 in Lynwood, California and raised in nearby Compton, Jeffries came of age in the epicenter of Southern California car culture. Indy 500 winner Troy Ruttman lived across the street, and Dean’s father Edward worked on midgets and roadsters. As a teenager, Jeffries worked nights in a machine shop in Lynwood, learning painting and striping by day with his friend Kenny Howard and others. Howard would later become known as Von Dutch. Working from the shops of George Cerny and George Barris, he painted race cars for Parnelli Jones and A.J. Foyt. In the Indy 500 one year, 21 of the 33 entries wore his paint jobs. Jeffries painted the number 130 and the phrase “Little Bastard” on a Porsche 550 Spyder for a young actor friend named James Dean. When Carroll Shelby needed multiple paint jobs on his lone Cobra prototype to create the illusion of a press fleet, he called upon Jeffries to do the work. On credit—at the time, the Texan was broke.

One famous Jeffries custom, and his own personal favorite, was the Mantaray, which he built from the remains of an old Maserati Grand Prix racer with wild hand-formed bodywork and a 289 CID Cobra V8. However, his best known work is probably the Monkeemobile, the Pontiac GTO-based custom street rod that co-starred in the hit TV show. His countless movie and television credits include the Green Hornet’s Black Beauty limo (driven by a young Bruce Lee), the Landmaster in Damnation Alley, and the moon buggy in Diamonds are Forever, the James Bond thriller.

Among his many hands-on innovations, it’s said that Jeffries was the first painter to shoot metal flake. In recent years, Jeffries continued to operate his shop, Dean Jeffries Auto Styling, on Cahuenga Boulevard in the shadow of the Hollywood Freeway. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Dean Jeffries passed away on Sunday, May 5, 2013. Google the following website http://www.motortrend.com/classic/features/c12_0511_dean_jeffries_interview/viewall.html. Sent to us by; Bob Beck http://bob-beck-motorsportsannouncing.com/, Rick Gold, Dema Elgin and Spencer Simon. He was born Edward Dean Jeffries to Viola Irene Allison Jeffries and Edward James Jeffries in Osage, Iowa. After the family moved to Compton, California, Jeffries grew up in Compton and then neighboring Lynwood, California, where his father was a mechanic. He was the middle child, born between older sister Darlene Ann (May 18, 1931, Osage, Iowa) and younger sister Evonne Mae (December 2, 1935, in Osage, Iowa). A brother, James Eddie Jeffries, was born December 2, 1935, in Osage, a twin to Evonne, but died the next day. Jeffries served in the U. S. Army during the Korean War, stationed in Germany. While in Germany he saw fellow soldiers and locals custom painting their motorcycles, and this led him to pinstriping. As a young man, after returning from Germany, he started doing pinstriping on the side, while working as a grinder in a machine shop. As the striping took off he opened a custom pinstriping shop that would become famous with the Hollywood film industry. A neighbor of Jeffries, race car driver Troy Ruttman would befriend him, and they would work cars together. After Ruttman joined with J. C. Agajanian, the Indianapolis 500 race team and Ascot Speedway owner, Agajanian hired Jeffries to stripe and letter his cars in 1953. Actor James Dean was one of his early customers, and Jeffries painted "Little Bastard" on the Porsche 550 Spyder that Dean owned. Jeffries recalled the day in September, 1955: "Jimmy knew that I was a pinstriper and had met me through Lance Reventlow and Bruce Kessler. He drove to my Lynwood shop in his new 550 and asked me to paint a temporary number 130 on the front hood, rear deck lid, and both doors of the Spyder in flat black, washable paint. He also asked me to paint "Little Bastard" on the tail section in the same font script. I painted it with One Shot, a gloss black enamel paint, as this would be permanent. It turned out great. Jimmy thought that the "Little Bastard" looked so cool across the bottom of the tail section." As an extra reward for working on his cars, and to have him on hand there, Agajanian took Jeffries to the 1952 Indy 500. Noticing his unusual painting and pinstriping style, Mobil Oil hired him in the following years to paint many of the Indy race cars. It was free to the teams and Mobil got their logo somewhere on the car. Jeffries would paint and pinstripe the cars and helmets of race car drivers like Jim Rathmann, Parnelli Jones, and A. J. Foyt, and became Foyt's paint and body man. After that, in 1962, he worked for famous race car designer and builder Carroll Shelby on the Cobra. He would go on to become one of the best custom car painters of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, and an early pioneer of painting flames on cars. He also developed his own paint, Jeffries Indy Pearl. Jeffries was a certified welder and custom built vehicles used in numerous Hollywood productions through his company Dean Jeffries Automotive Styling (aka Jeffries Automotive Styling), on 3077 Cahuenga Boulevard West, in Los Angeles. He began custom fabrication in the 1960’s and built the Mantaray (from Bikini Beach; 1963), Black Beauty (from The Green Hornet), the Monkeemobile, the Landmaster (aka Land Master; from Damnation Alley; 1977), the moon buggy (that James Bond steals in Diamonds Are Forever), and the trolley (from Who Framed Roger Rabbit). Jeffries was also an expert on dune buggies, and produced his own models, and has contributed to books about them. He did all of the custom fabrication work on the movie Convoy in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he rented the shop from Burns Truck & Parts. Jeffries worked on the design and initial fabrication for the Batmobile (for the 1966 Batman TV series), but when the studio wanted the car faster than he could deliver, he turned the project over to George Barris who hired Bill Cushenbery to do the fabrication work. In 1992, a Green Hornet enthusiast, purchased the "number one" Black Beauty from the former transportation director of Twentieth Century Fox for the sum of $5000 and commissioned Jeffries to restore the car; two cars had been built for the series and Goodman's was the primary car. Although the vehicle was in perfect mechanical condition with the original custom wheels and most body modifications as used in the show and had logged only 17,000 miles (approximately 27,350 km) since new, it was badly weathered and in need of a full cosmetic restoration. Despite numerous cost overruns and rights to the "Black Beauty" name and likeness, Jeffries eventually restored the car to its current condition albeit not exactly like it was in the TV series. While the rocket launcher panels on the trunk lid had been welded shut, requiring replacement of the body panel in order to make the system functional again, the flip-down green headlights were intact, less their drive motor and discovered beneath the hood after Goodman took delivery of the car. The car was sold to Prop collector, Louis Ringe in 1999. The Black Beauty is currently part of the Petersen Automotive Museum collection. The "Number Two" Black Beauty has been completely restored as seen on TV appearances. It resides in a private collection in South Carolina and is available for shows and displays. In 2001 the Cruisin' Hall of Fame inducted Jeffries as a member. Jeffries married Judy Darlene Maxson in 1959, who was the daughter of Helen C. Markley Maxson and Darwin Bashor Maxson. Judy's father, Darwin, would become a racing partner with Dean, forming Maxson/Jeffries Racing. Dean and Judy had one son, Kevin Dean Jeffries. Dean and Judy divorced in April, 1971. While working on the Warner Brothers lot he met and later married Rosalee "Row" Berman in Los Angeles on October 17, 1982. Rosalee was an executive and associate producer for the studio. Rosalee was born July 20, 1941, and passed away after a long illness on August 11, 2008, in Los Angeles at the age of 67.

Ernie Schorb passed away early this morning. The arrangements are being handled by Cauley's Meadowood Memorial Park in Tallahassee, 850-893-4177. I have attached a short bio of Ernie. He had a great run; he will be missed. This Saturday, May 11, 2013 at 6pm many of Ernie's friends around the country will be devoting a few minutes to thinking about what Ernie has meant to them and/or in prayer. There is a memorial for Ernie on the Internet where you can sign the "guestbook" and post pictures. http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/dignitymemorial/sign-guestbook-thank-you.aspx?n=george-schorb&pid=164694470&entryid=72470268. I found it by going to dignitymemorial.com and searching George Schorb. It will stay up for a month. Wendell and Kathie Snowden ------------------------------ George “Ernie” Schorb passed away on May 7, 2013. He was born on September 4, 1930, in Paris, France, to US Citizens, Virginia Arthur and George Schorb. His father died when he was 2, and by the time he was 4, he was living with his mother in a houseboat on the Miami River. After graduating from Miami Jackson High School, he joined the US Navy and served from 1948 to 1958. He became interested in drag racing as a teenager and joined the Ramblers Road Club in 1951. He raced a ’34 Ford at the night drags on the beach in Daytona. Ernie saw there was nowhere to legally drag race in South Florida so he lobbied local government. He helped create the Florida State Championship Drag Races at Amelia Earhart Field in Hialeah, which later became Masters Field. In 1954 he became Regional Advisor for the new National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). In 1956 he created Southeast Drag News a publication that covered drag racing action in the Southeastern states. In 1957 he first met the founder of NHRA, Wally Parks, who was impressed by Ernie’s talents and hired him to become their first business manager. In 1959 he returned to Miami as NHRA first SE Division Director. In 1966 he was hired as a promoter for the new Miami-Hollywood Dragway. He followed the pattern of public relations for the rest of his life. Ernie had a unique talent to be able to formulate an idea, lobby those in a position to make it happen, and accomplish change for the better. Over the years, Ernie had many beautiful classic cars. A favorite of his was a black 1963 Thunderbird which was in Don Garlits Drag Racing hall of fame for many years. In 1982 he was inducted into the NHRA Southeast Division Hall of Fame. Throughout his association with NHRA he had both a business and personal relationship with Wally Parks who, in 2000, presented Ernie with a Lifetime Achievement Award for the creation of the NHRA Winternationals concept. In 2002, he received the Pioneer Award from the NHRA at the Gatornationals in Gainesville. In 2005 he received a special tribute during the golden anniversary of the NHRA at the US Nationals in Indianapolis. In 1998, Ernie moved from South Florida to the Orlando area and began another career with Walt Disney World. He was a member of the Creative Idea Forum Group and received numerous accolades for ideas which were submitted and implemented to improve and expand Disney theme attractions. He became a member of the Disney Partners of Excellence Program. In 2005, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Entertainment Apartment. Ernie is probably the only person to have been awarded a “Wally” from the NHRA, and a “Mickey” from Walt Disney World. After retiring from Disney, Ernie moved around the country living in Virginia, Missouri and finally settling in Tallahassee where he worked for Devoe Moore at the Tallahassee Auto Museum. He created an exhibit honoring Wally Parks and instituted the first Wally Parks Day in December of 2008. In 2006 Ernie was inducted into the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame in Henderson, NC, and became an active member of the Hall of Fame. In 2011 he was awarded the Wally Parks Motorsports Statesman Memorial Award from the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame. Ernie is survived by his many friends all over the country too numerous to mention, and by Julie (Gary) Milligan of Pleasant Hope, Missouri, and Rose (Kelvin) Hunter of Tallahassee, whom he loved as daughters, and “adopted” grandchildren Brittany, Cheyenne Milligan, and Anna Milligan. ------------------------------ I got to know Ernie's mother was a very classy French lady. I got him interested in oval (and road course) racing in spite of his predilection for straight line racing. I was even able to win him over to my favorite driver, Jeff Gordon. Until his recent illness we followed every weekend's practices, qualifying and races together. I talked to him Saturday and all he asked about was how Jeff was doing. I had told him about Danica's efforts even though this was not her best weekend. Ernie is a big fan of hers and women coming into the sport. Of course, your Dad and his family have been incredibly important to Ernie. Of all the people in his life, he respected your father the most. He is very flattered that you and your brother have maintained in touch and he has accumulated a collection of Wally Parks memorabilia that Wendell and Kathie are keeping. It is his hope you and your brother will either incorporate it in your father's museum or give it to Nancy Wilson for her museum. Kathie tells me there are some wonderful items in the collection. I think you are wonderful to put together this bio and look forward to the final product. Willa Fearrington ------------------------------ STAFF NOTES by Richard Parks; here is a biography that I was helping Ernie Schorb write, along with comments by his friends and those who helped Ernie write down his history. I appreciate the efforts of all those who acted as a go-between during Ernie’s bout of illness and finally his passing. Ernie was a friend of the family and a man who rarely received the notice that he so richly deserved for all of his work and effort to promote drag racing. I was there when he was given a Wally (an award given out by the NHRA) at Pomona Raceway and asked a beaming Ernie if I could hold it. This Southern gentleman reluctantly let me have it and then I started to walk away with it. That was about the only time I ever heard Ernie raise his voice. That Wally meant everything to him. What Ernie might not have known is that he meant everything to all his friends as well. ------------------------------------Gone Racin'...Ernie Schorb biography. Part of the research for this biography came from the 2006 East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame induction and was rewritten. Edited by Richard Parks, Photographic consultant Roger Rohrdanz. George Ernest "Ernie" Schorb Jr was born on September 4, 1930, in Paris, France, of American parents from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. His father, George Ernest Schorb Sr was an artist studying in Paris. His mother was Virginia Schorb. Virginia and George moved to Paris and Ernie was born there. Ernie had no siblings. In 1938 the family moved to Miami, Florida. Ernie graduated from Jackson High School in Miami and was on the student councilin 1949 and joined the local Ramblers Road car club located near him. He was elected the president of the club shortly thereafter. The Ramblers were one of the founding members of the Southern Florida Timing Association (SFTA). Ernie also belonged to the South Beach Swing Dancing Group. After graduation Ernie joined the Navy. Ernie took up hot rodding and the new sport of drag racing. He put a '39 Merc flathead V-8 in a '34 Ford and went drag racing on the beach in Daytona. These drag races were not sanctioned and they were often chaotically run, but they attracted a large group of drag racers and the parties were legendary. Ernie saw the problems with illegal drag racing and he began looking for better ways to conduct races using rules, vehicle inspections and organization of the races. His next car was a '51 Studebaker V-8 that he got in a trade for his '34 Ford and used the newer car to get around town during the weekdays and to race on the weekends. Most hotrodders could only afford one car to serve both purposes. 1951 was a pivotal year for drag racing; in March of 1951 the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) was formed by Wally Parks and other hot rodders to bring order and rules to the new sport. He heard about the NHRA from articles in Hot Rod magazine and joined immediately. "I soon began communicating with Wally and Barbara Parks by letter, and we shared a lot of ideas about how to get hot rodders off the streets," Ernie said to John Jodauga. Illegal street racing was a sore spot for Parks and Schorb shared the same disdain. Street racing injured and killed spectators, racers and the public and the outcry to end such racing led to the creation of local timing associations and the NHRA. A local businessman and sports car racer Jack Horsley, introduced Ernie to U.S. Congressman Dante Fascell and the two of them worked together to get the Air Force to open up an abandoned base at Homestead, Florida. When that base was reactivated, Ernie managed to talk the Navy into letting the SFTA use Amelia Earhart Airport, in Hialeah. "I have known Ernie all my life," said Cameron Wilder Huffman. "On April 4th, 1952 Ernie married Patricia Treat, the girlfriend he used to pick up from high school, and they were married a little over a year, before their separation and divorce. Patty wanted to have children and Ernie did not. Patty remarried for a second time to Henry Wilder, who was one of Ernie's best friends from the Navy and I was born in 1955. Ernie has been my 'Uncle Ernie' all my life and now we are closer than ever. My family moved to the Daytona area and Ernie remained in the Miami area. I know he was a dealer for Gary's products. He sold waxes, cleaners, etc to dealers and detailers. He sold that business when he moved up to the Leesburg area and went to work for the Walt Disney Company." Ernie had a boundless reserve of energy and he put that to good use organizing the local drag racers. Parks recognized Ernie's abilities and appointed him to be a regional adviser in the Southeast area of the country three years later in 1954. In that same year Ernie and the other members of the SFTA organized the first annual Florida State Championship Drag Races that were held at Amelia Earhart Field. The event was moved to Masters Field in Miami, and was one of the big draws in drag racing in Florida. The Florida State Championships lasted well into the 1970's as a major drag racing competition. Ernie and Jim Hill established the Southeast Drag News in 1956 to provide coverage for racing events and news on drag racing. He interviewed drag racers and did stories on them. He realized that if the new sport of drag racing was going to be respected that it needed to publicize the news and he could also use this as a way of reaching out to the young men and women in the Florida area and get them to race on safe and sanctioned drag strips. He realized that illegal street racing would cause fatalities and injuries and mar the good name of the sport. The first issues of the Southeast Drag News came out in a newspaper format, but as the demand for the publication increased Ernie was able to turn it into a monthly magazine and cover all of the drag racing in the Southeastern area of the country. The newspaper closed in the early 1960's with the advent of the new NHRA newspaper The Dragster, which started up in 1960. He was the publisher, editor and also a reporter, writing stories, working on the layouts, editing other people's work, taking photographs and writing the captions. Jim Hill recounts a story about sneaking into Amelia Earhart Field and getting caught by Ernie, who decided to teach Hill a lesson by making him work for his way in. But Schorb did more than just put Hill to work, he taught him as well. Jim Hill learned under Ernie and went onto a successful career in racing journalism, public relations, advertising and marketing. Ernie was always ready to share his knowledge with young hot rodders and drag racers. The following was written by Bobby Zlatkin. "Ernie Schorb brought organized NHRA drag racing to South Florida. In early 1954, as president of the Ramblers Road Club, he convinced Dade County Sheriff Kelly to help him. Together, they approached the Hialeah Town Council and then the Board of Dade County Commissioners. They were seeking permission to use Amelia Earhart Field (an unused WW2 Navy airfield, then owned by the County) to host organized drag races. They were successful. I'm sure their pitch was to get the hot rodders off the street. He also helped organize the Southern Florida Timing Association (S.F.T.A.) which was an association of the four Miami hot rod clubs. They were the Ramblers, the Cabriolets (who worked the clocks), the Road Rebels (who ran the starting line) and the Road Saints (who gave out the time slips). Car clubs were a big thing back in those days. Ernie also published a bi-weekly newsletter, the Southeastern Drag News in 1956, which had the previous drag results, class winners, pictures, club news, etc. Sort of a miniature National Dragster or Drag Review. I went to Miami High School back then and thought it was so cool when Ernie used to pick up his girlfriend (later to become his wife), after school, in a white Ford panel truck with the red, white and blue NHRA as well as the S.F.T.A. logos painted on the side. He carried the timing equipment in that truck, which was set up and then taken down each race Sunday. Ernie did a lot for drag racing in those early years. He later became the first NHRA Division II Director. This was a long time prior to the Buster Couch days." Ernie got his chance to meet Wally Parks in person in 1957, when the founder of the NHRA was at Daytona Beach to attempt to set the stock car land speed record with the famous Plymouth Savoy nicknamed Suddenly. Detroit automakers were going to create a big publicity program for their 1958 models and call it Suddenly its 1960. One of their ideas was to send a number of their cars to Daytona Beach to break the stock car land speed record. Parks and the staff of Hot Rod magazine thought it would be a cool publicity stunt for the magazine to get down there with their own car and set a record before the Detroit crowd could get there. They managed to break the record and the next day the newspapers blared the headlines; "Southern California hotrodders blow the doors off the Detroit cars." This impressed Ernie and other local Florida hotrodders. Ernie was mesmerized by Parks and the west coast crowd, who were much older and who had a great deal of racing experience on the dry lakes of Southern California and at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Parks was also impressed by the zeal and tenacity of Schorb and invited the younger man to come to the 1958 NHRA Nationals, which was in Oklahoma City that year. As Ernie tells the story, "I entered a contest for gathering NHRA memberships and finished third with more than 200 new members. Wally and Barbara invited me to come to the 1958 Oklahoma City Nationals, where I helped work the event." Parks was a good judge of character and knew talent when he saw it and hired Ernie to become the first business manager of the NHRA. Schorb moved out to Hollywood in 1958 to start his new job, surrounded by the very men and women whom he admired most. "I was offered the chance to come to Southern California and after a year there Wally and I thought that I would be better as a representative in my native Florida," Ernie told Jodauga. A year later he was promoted to the position of Division Director in the Southeast area of the country, the first director in Division II and one of the first seven men to hold that position of trust. It was a big assignment and covered one of the strongest and most important areas of the country for drag racing. Ernie remained the Division Director for two years and then was reassigned to working with manufacturers and sponsors at the major national events. Ernie looked to Wally Parks as a fatherly figure and in turn Parks felt the same way towards Schorb. They would remain good friends until Parks passed away in 2007. Ernie would create a historical display at a museum in Florida as a tribute to Parks and an award in the older man's name for a Hall of Fame in North Carolina. As a Division Director, Ernie was responsible for a wide range of duties and activities and while some of the instructions came from the main offices in Southern California, he also showed initiative and creativity. Ernie promoted and organized drag racing events and safety runs. He created car shows. He was responsible for overseeing the drag strips under his sanctioning body. He couldn't intercede with outlaw tracks or those run by other drag racing organizations, but his influence and the respect that other groups had for him made his views listened to. Ernie did a lot of traveling; a Division Director has to keep his eyes on a lot of activities. Bill Smith was the first Southeast Division Technical (Tech) Director and together the two men traveled over a seven state area; Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. It was a huge area to cover and the two men had to lay down the law and enforce the rules in a kind but forceful manner. Ernie was just the man for that job. He also made friends with the other Division Directors who were the pioneers in drag racing in their areas. One Director was Ed Eaton, in the Northeast Division 1, and has remained friends with Ed ever since. It wasn't always an easy job. In 1960 he worked hard to bring the NHRA and NASCAR together for a jointly promoted race, which lasted a week during NASCAR's Speedweek, held at Daytona Beach. There would be NASCAR and NHRA racing together for the first time and Ernie called it the Winter Nationals. The name stuck and became a permanent part of the NHRA racing schedule for the first race of the season, though the race was transferred out west to Pomona, California in 1961. Bill France and Wally Parks were considering the merger of the two racing groups. Drag racing was strong in the west and stock car was the king of racing in the south and mid-west, from Ohio to Florida. Perhaps the merger didn't happen because the founders of the two American car racing organizations were too strong-willed to give up control to the other. But Ernie gave it his all and the race became legendary for those who were there. Schorb worked with the South Florida Timing Association (SFTA) to put on a series of seven night races that became wildly successful. Acting as the NHRA representative and still a member of the SFTA, Ernie marshaled the resources to make the first Winter Nationals a winner and to spur the growth of drag racing in the state. Ernie promoted the drag races at the new drag racing, Miami-Hollywood Dragway, when it opened in 1966. The drag strip survived for a quarter of a century before closing in the 1990's. Schorb worked for the NHRA for two decades and retired from the organization in 1973, but always volunteered when they needed him. "I wanted a part-time position with the NHRA, but they were growing larger and needed a full time representative. It was time to move on," Ernie told Jodauga. He opened up his own business in 1973 selling car care products to speed shops, car dealerships and retail car parts outlets. In 1982 he was inducted into the NHRA Southeast Division Hall of Fame. Willa Fearrington, a friend of Ernie's, had this to say about him; "Ernie went through a difficult period in his life when his mother became ill late in her life. Ernie was a loving and caring son who never let her see his frustration over the difficulty her illness caused him. I got him interested in oval and road course racing in spite of his predilection for straight line racing. I was even able to win him over to my favorite driver, Jeff Gordon. Until his recent illness we followed every weekend's practices, qualifying and races together. I talked to him recently and all he asked about was how Jeff was doing. I had told him about Danica Patrick's efforts even though this was not her best weekend. Ernie is a big fan of hers and women coming into the sport. Of course, Wally and Barbara Parks and his family have been incredibly important to Ernie. Of all the people in his life, he respected Parks the most. He is very flattered that the Parks' family has kept in touch and he has accumulated a collection of Wally Parks memorabilia that Wendell and Kathie Snowden are keeping. It is his hope that the Parks' family will either incorporate it in the Motorsports Museum or give it to Nancy Wilson for her museum. Kathie tells me there are some wonderful items in the collection." "I came out to California in 1998 and helped Steve Gibbs and Bob Daniels prepare the new Motorsports Museum for its grand opening," Ernie told Jodauga in a National Dragster article. The Motorsports Museum was later renamed the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Ernie loved the facility and the history and heritage that it gave to the younger generation. He was a major part of that history and it was important to him to see that it carried on the drag racing traditions that he believed in. It was also a chance to see his old friends; the Gibbs, Daniels, Parks' and others who he held in such high esteem. He sold his business and moved to Leesburg, Florida, north of Miami in the mid-1990's and went to work for the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida in 1998. His first job was in the Magic Kingdom's Cinderella Castle; then he was promoted to the Entertainment Department. He joined the Creative Idea Forum Group at Disney World. Always a hotrodder, he made suggestions for improvement that were used by the company in Florida and around the world at other Disney theme parks. His ideas earned him the Disney Partners In Excellence Program award. He received praise from Rich Taylor, vice president of the costuming department and from Wendy Abraham, manager of the Creative Idea Forum for the company. Ernie retired from Disney World in 2005 and was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Entertainment Department. At the 40th anniversary of the NHRA Winternationals, in Pomona, in 2000, Ernie was given a special Lifetime Achievement Award for his commitment to drag racing and to the NHRA. The award was presented to Ernie by his old friend and mentor, Wally Parks, in front of 40,000 fans at the race that he had named. Two years later, at the NHRA Gatornationals, held in Gainesville, Florida, he was again honored for his service to the NHRA with a Pioneers Award. Ernie was given a special tribute in front of a roaring crowd during the 50th anniversary at the U.S. Nationals, in Indianapolis, Indiana in September of 2005. Ernie also volunteered to help the Tallahassee Auto Museum create a special historical tribute to his friend and mentor, Wally Parks. He was inducted into the East Coast Drag Racing Hall of Fame, located in Henderson, North Carolina. He serves on the board of directors for this Hall of Fame and presents the Wally Parks Award to the most deserving drag racer. Gone Racin' is at RNPARKS1@JUNO.COM.

Cruisin For A Cure is in September each year at the Orange County Fairgrounds, where we expect over 4000 vehicles and will offers free PSA Prostate Cancer screening for men over 40. Proceeds from the show benefit the City of Hope Medical Center. This is a spectacular show and a very worthy cause. From Debbie Baker

A couple of days ago I did a job for a relative of Jimmy Stewart, the actor. I remember reading something in one of the articles on about him. Was he ever into racing? Spencer SimonSPENCER: I don’t know if Jimmy Stewart or his relative was ever involved in auto racing, but the best person to ask is Jim Miller. I can tell you that many old Hollywood stars were into the car culture and often that meant racing. Robert Stack raced at Muroc and drove Thunderbird boats. James Dean drove a sports car in road racing events. Cars were a big part of Hollywood and still are.

STAFF NOTES: Jim Miller found out the following information on a rare video that was shot in Los Angeles in 1950 or 1951. Film industry people routinely rented Barney's Beanery (8447 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, California) for Oscar-watching soirees and wrap parties. And in March 1951, a week before the Academy Awards (March 29), Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin held an Oscar spoof there called the Mickey Awards. "It was the first time in years anybody dared to laugh at Hollywood out loud," a HERALD EXAMINER reporter wrote in 1951. "One irate press agent said the whole thing was 'anti-industry' and demanded it be called off." The awards were the brainchild of Ezra Goodman, a TIME magazine correspondent who, along with other film-industry reporters, felt that he was treated as a second-class citizen. "Studio producers told Lewis and Martin that they couldn't spoof the Oscars," said Johnny Grant, Hollywood's honorary mayor, in a recent interview. But the show went on. Searchlights pierced the sky and wide-eyed fans filled the temporary bleachers outside. Grant, then working as a disc jockey, welcomed stars as they arrived. "The press used to get together and pull off some real doozies," he said. For the occasion, emcees Lewis and Martin rented the antique automobile (Isotta Fraschini) in which Gloria Swanson was chauffeured by Erich Von Stroheim in the movie SUNSET BOULEVARD. The film was up for 11 Oscars that year, but it won only three. Von Stroheim accepted the Mickey for best performance by a "foreign convertible." Burlesque legend Tempest Storm won a Mickey for the "Best Two Props" in a black and white production (her breasts). Also in the video was Wally Parks in a tuxedo and top hat. The rare video is now in the possession of David and Richard Parks. ----------------------------- According to the writing on the tape jacket, which was in the handwriting of Wally Parks, it said that the event was held before the Academy Awards in March of 1950. The Mickey Awards Show was held at Barney’s Beanery with most of the gang from Petersen Publishing behind the event. The emcee was Johnny Grant, but Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made this their personal show. It’s a wonderful snapshot of a by-gone Hollywood era and shows just how much hot rodding and auto racing was an accepted part of the Hollywood culture. It’s hoped that we can make disks available to the public. David Parks, the youngest son of Wally Parks, states that many of the people helping to put on the presentation were employees of Petersen Publishing Company, including Barbara Livingston, who would become Mrs Wally Parks a decade later. Robert E. “Pete” Petersen had worked in the Hollywood movie industry prior to founding his business empire. Many of the stars knew and appreciated his efforts to protect their privacy from intrusion by the press and public. These stars often turned to Petersen for help in putting on events and Petersen was always willing to help. The Mickey Awards is a prime example of the Hot Rodders penchant for mocking the overly serious in society around them. I have been unsuccessful in trying to reach out to Jerry Lewis, the last of the participants in the Mickey Awards for his input on the subject. If anyone can help we would be very appreciative. ----------------------------- For some added interest and carry-over of friendships, don't know if you know that Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis ended up on the cover of the July 1954 issue of HOT ROD magazine when Wally Parks was the editor. Jim Miller

America's Real Sports Car. By Le Roi Tex Smith Might as well start off with something to stir the troops. The hot rod roadster is America’s first (and only) real sports car! I know forthwith of which l mumble, having been involved in both camps since way back. I know the claims of Corvette. Yes, it can be turned into a rather ragged road rager, but not in showroom guise. It needs some massaging, some hot rodding if you will, before the cake mix special runs with the big dogs. Same for those econo Fords Shel built. Same with just about any production American car, or most any world production car. If they don’t get hot rodded, they may as well stay on the porch and scratch fleas. But I said a hot rod roadster. Not a coupe, not a sedan, not a convertible. Nope, only a genuine no-top, maybe interior, stab and steer roadster. How’s that? Got your attention? So, how’s about we try to arrive at a definition of sports car. It is many different interpretations, I fear, but if I follow the generally accepted definition arrived at over half a century ago, as defined by the English. The sports car is a rough riding, poorly appointed, and if it is English, completely hopeless pile of pre-destined rust designed by a hopelessly self-deluded stiff upper lip ego maniac. A kind of wanna-be hot rodder from the wrong side of the ocean. In short, a vehicle for sport motoring. Even an early on sports car from German can be iffy. A true sports car does not have a heater (English heaters seldom work well anyway), it does not have air conditioning, it does not have roll-up windows, it may have only a very rudimentary folding top, it may or may not have windshield wipers, and it probably leaks rain all over your pants leg. You should be getting the idea by now. If a true sports car has any additional refinements, it is probably actually a sporting car. A sports tourer as they became known, or a sports coupe, or even a sports sedan. All depending largely on the advertising and sales departments of the larger manufacturers. But a real red-blooded American hot rod roadster fits those old European definitions quite well, thank you. And if you need affirmation of any of this tirade, just hunker down for a bench session with any of the many roadster owners that hang around most contemporary hot rod building emporiums. You go to a rod run and you have to dig them up, usually over behind the 3300 red 32 roadsters masquerading as hot rods. The true American sports car drivers usually have sunburned faces, wind knotted hair (or no hair at all), twitchy throttle feet, left arms burned black, and sometimes raccoon eyes. And they take no guff from any mere mortals. After all, they are members of a very rare, and seldom ever numerous, breed of mortals who consort with the gods. Else why do so many car enthusiast worldwide clamour to emulate them? By now, you understand that a hot rod nee American sports car is not a street rod. But, neither is it a rat rod. Much too sophisticated for a ratter. Far too unsophisticated to be a show/street rod. Like the man says, when you ride in one, you know it. When you drive one, you REALLY know it! Now, I need to confess that my Junk Yard Dawg is not, currently, an American sports car. Nope, a decade ago, I added a top so I could have shade for my wife Pegge. Then as she sickened from cancer, I called Jack Chisenhall and lined out an air conditioning package, which I hustled to get in place prior to a trip with Ron Ceridono down to the R&C cruise to Lincoln, Nebraska. I tested it after it was charged, and have never turned it on again. Pegge didn’t need it, and I don’t like it in the roadster. Now, as I prepare to rebuild the soft Pontiac OHC inline six with more grunt I think I may just leave the AC out of the package. So I can have a sports car again. But I may have to drill a hole in the cowl so water can run on my leg.

NHRA 2013 Holley National Hot Rod Reunion Grand Marshal & Honorees. NHRA Motorsports Museum. Grand Marshal Preston Davis is considered one of the Southeast’s best fuel racers from the 1960’s and ‘70s. When Raymond Godman switched to Top Fuel racing he hired Davis to drive his Tennessee Bo Weevil. When Funny Cars took over match race bookings they built a Bo Weevil Funny Car as well. He won two Division Top Fuel Championships, a Division Funny Car Championship and is a member of the Division 2 Hall of Fame. Alan Bockla was drag racing’s original king of the Rockies. In 1961 he began Top Fuel racing. A switch to a Woody Gilmore chassis and Chrysler power put him on the drag racing map with back-to-back West Central Division Top Fuel titles. He was first of the so-called mile-high drivers to run 170, 180, 190 and 200 mph. Lynwood Dupuy is one of those rare officials beloved by drag racers coast to coast. Long before computers took their place in the tower, Lynwood’s attention to detail found him keeping records and figuring handicaps by hand. He’s one of those rare people that can perform nearly any function at a drag strip from starter to race director and earned the reputation as being firm but fair. Melvin Heath built his fuel dragster in a shed on his Oklahoma watermelon farm. In 1956 he was first to win two NHRA Regional championships in a single season. At the second NHRA Nationals in Kansas City, Heath narrowly defeated Californian Bob Alsenz to win the dragster class and then took Top Eliminator honors over 351 other entries. At 16 Jon Lundberg stood on an oil drum and announced his first drag race using a megaphone. By 1962 he was announcing at three Michigan tracks. He expanded to national events in 1963 including the legendary March Meet in Bakersfield. Nicknamed the “Voice of Drag Racing” and “Thunderlungs”, he appeared at more than 120 different drag strips between 1964 and 1978. Whenever “Attention in the pits!” is heard, drag race veterans think of Jon Lundberg. Tom Prock has been involved in drag racing since the early ‘60s. He began with gassers and in the early ‘70s switched to Funny Cars. He raced the Warhorse Mustang, then teamed with Al Bergler on the Motown Shaker Vega. In late 1972 Tom joined Fred Castronovo and drove the successful Custom Body Challenger for the next five years. He retired from the wheel in 1979 to became crew chief for Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen. After six years he left the road to work for Venolia Pistons . ------------------------------ NHRA Museum The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California, long a dream of NHRA founder Wally Parks, opened to the public April 4, 1998, after years of planning and months of hard work cataloging and arranging the exhibit. Housed in a 28,500-square-foot building on the edge of the historic Los Angeles County Fairplex, the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum's mission is to celebrate the impact of motorsports on our culture. We collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret the vehicles, stories, and artifacts that represent our affection for, and the influence of, automotive speed and style in all its forms. We are the place to view and learn about hot rods, customs, racecars and speed records, and the West Coast's role as the historic center for their past and present development. The Museum features an impressive array of vintage and historical racing vehicles –- nearly 50 at the Grand Opening -- along with photographs, trophies, helmets and driving uniforms, artifacts, paintings, and other memorabilia chronicling more than 50 years of American motorsports. A gift shop offers a wide variety of souvenir items. The Museum is open during the annual Los Angeles County Fair. Please check the Fairplex website for hours of operation and admission prices (www.fairplex.com). Museum admission is just $1 with regular paid Fair admission ticket. HOURS: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Extended hours during the NHRA Winternationals and NHRA Finals. Also, hours change during the annual Los Angeles County Fair. HOLIDAYS WE ARE CLOSED: Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. ADMISSION PRICES: Current NHRA members are admitted free. Admission for non-members is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 60 and older, $6 for juniors 6 through 15, and free for children under the age of 5. AAA discount available. HOW TO GET HERE: From the 10 fwy east, exit White Avenue, proceed North, turn left on McKinley Avenue, enter Fairplex Gate 1. From the 210 fwy, exit Fruit Avenue, proceed South, turn right on McKinley Avenue. The Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum is located at Fairplex Gate 1, 1101 W. McKinley Avenue in Pomona. Call us at (909) 622-2133. Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Building 3A Pomona CA, 91768 Museum Main Number: 909-622-2133 Museum Fax Number: 909-622-1206 Reunion Hotline: 909-622-8562, themuseum@nhra.com, www.museum.nhra.com.

I thought it timely to send you a link to Gareth Kent’s video of the latest Allard Chrysler dragster fire-up. Google http://youtu.be/akS9hChkIfo. The engine is now running on 66 per cent nitro with ignition advanced to 42 degrees. We may advance this further. Next Sunday will see additional team rolls rehearsed with Martin Dunks, Gareth Kent and Nick Connor taking turns in the driving seat and then carrying out crew chief duties when not behind the wheel. This training will be based on short run times but still including a methanol/nitro/methanol switch. The short run time is because at four hours, engine cool-down time is causing concern as it will limit the number of fire-ups in any given period. But we are working on reducing this. The new Allard t-shirts are now available by contacting brian@allardchrysler.org for just £15.00 plus postage. Only 100 have been produced, each one with its unique number. I’m still waiting for XXL and M sizes to arrive from Lucas Oil but still place your orders as stocks will be limited. I should be producing the next issue of ACAG Update at the end of May and this will feature in detail all the recent work carried out on the car. Sorry to be so brief but lots to do as we near the end of our restoration. Brian Taylor

Click for Image SS 3 - Bill Barringer holding his newly restored photo of his father George Barringer and crew in 1940 at Bonneville. Spencer Simon Collection 4/9/13.

Click for Image SS 4 - Bill Barringer driving the George Barringer Special he had made for himself bearing the famous #26 after his Father's race car. Sent by Bill Barringer 4/9/13 . Spencer Simon Collection.